Many young people see credit cards in one of two ways: “Yay, free money!” or “No way, I’m steering clear of those!” What you may not realize is there is a middle ground in the form of responsible credit card use.

If you’re headed off to college for the first time, you may have never given any thought to your credit score or how it affects loans you apply for. You might not even know what a credit score really is. But as you venture closer to being an independent adult, it’s vital that you understand the basics of building good credit.

It used to be you had to actually get in your car, drive through traffic, and wait in line at your bank (yes, the actual branch) before you could do anything with your money — get cash, check on your balance, transfer money or deposit checks. Now all it takes is a few clicks of your mouse or taps on your cell phone and all your banking is done.

One of the first friends you should make at college is in the financial aid office. While you may think you only need to worry about your finances once each year when you complete your FAFSA, there are all sorts of things your financial aid representative can help you with throughout your college career.

Let’s face it — the student loan process is a little cumbersome: lots of information to gather, dates to remember, forms to complete, etc. And up until last month, borrowers had to use a PIN — a 4-digit password used to sign your loan application. Parents also had to have their own unique PIN.
Now the FAFSA PIN has been replaced with the FSA ID. This new ID simplifies the overall borrowing process for students and their parents (who also have to have their own FSA ID) and complies with new sec​

Health insurance has certainly been a hot topic in the last couple of years. And whether you are for or against Obama Care (aka the Affordable Care Act), the fact is that since it was signed into law, your options for getting health coverage have grown tremendously.
It’s also gotten trickier because now each and every one of us is legally required to have health insurance, so instead of simply deciding if you want coverage, now you must decide which coverage is best. To answer that question, you’re going to have to do a little studying.

Preparing for college is a very emotional and exciting time. First you’re busy writing essays and completing applications, then you’re anxiously awaiting news about which colleges have accepted you and finally, there’s the fear and anticipation of what college life will really be like once you get there.

If you’ve completed all your applications and most of your requirements, by now you should start receiving some financial aid award letters from the universities and colleges you applied to. Essentially, the letter aims to tell you how much financial assistance you can expect from the university, plus how much you’ll have to cover on your own.